Stargate Atlantis: S7--Do Not Go Gentle
by the morrighan
Summary: Every rescue has a cost. This is the sixth story. WARNING! Major character death.
1. Chapter 1

Stargate Atlantis: S7—Do Not Go Gentle

Envy.

It colored his every thought, his every emotion and his every memory. How easier life had been before all of this. If he had never joined this mission; if he had never agreed to go to Atlantis and awakened the city; if he had never screwed up that rescue and been posted to Antarctica; if he had never gone riding bicycles with his friend Hugh that day and stayed with his mother…

Regret was a circle that would drive him mad if he allowed it. Instead he envied those whose lives seemed charmed. There were those who had never endured the losses that he had endured; those who had left all of the difficult decisions to him; those who were no doubt safe in Atlantis and not even bothering to look for him anyway. His so-called friends.

They had probably already found his replacement.

Everyone envied him. Colonel John Sheppard knew this; he could see it in their eyes and in their quiet, unspoken disparagement. They envied his astonishing good looks and quick wit and bravery. They always underestimated his intelligence and his complexity and that always bothered the hell out of him. Not that he let many in to see what was beneath the handsome exterior, but still, his so-called friends should have realized.

At least Moira did.

His friends had it so easy, compared to his duty and his job. They had no idea of the constant pressure he was under, had been under ever since he had first set foot in Atlantis. He sometimes wished he didn't have the ATA gene. Life might have been easier without it.

But it also would have been more boring, in some ways.

He wondered what his friends were doing now. At least they were safe. They probably weren't even looking for him.

No, that wasn't right. These thoughts weren't his own. His friends were loyal and no doubt trying to find him, searching the galaxy. With any luck Rodney would figure it out. Rodney would remember the coordinates and Moira would insist they rescue him. Ronon would realize the subterfuge and Teyla would find a way with her Wraith DNA to influence the queen. Rodney would realize the coordinates were in fact to a planet that had once

_Careful, John, careful, you are losing control losing control you are slipping_

Been a candidate for the new Alpha site but Elizabeth had said no it wasn't

_Careful, John, guard your train of thought your train of thought will betray you_

Suitable for the expedition and John had argued that the waves were spectacular and they should at the very least have an outpost there if not the city itself but now of course it

_John, John, no guard your thoughts they will betray you John John stop this now stop stop this_

Was the

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

The pain ripped through John like his skull was on fire and he cried out in agony. He jerked on the bed and violently rolled, falling to the floor. He groaned and clawed the floor. The pressure was so intense he thought his head was going to explode and he forced his last thoughts, his very last thoughts into a happy, intimate memory of Moira beneath him as they

The pain ended. John collapsed to the floor. Tears blurred his vision and he just lay there, making certain he was still alive. Gingerly he touched his head. He realized that his deception had been discovered at last. That meant that they were circling the planet and somehow the queen had peeled away the last layers of his deception.

Perhaps rescue was imminent.

He fought to rise but his limbs were shaking. He just lay there on the floor, forcing his heart to stop hammering and his head to stop throbbing. Panic was a wave about to overtake him. If they had learned about his deception had they learned the true location of Atlantis? Had they learned about Moira?

Or would that be something yet to be tortured out of him?

He staggered to his feet and collapsed onto the bed again. He needed to be able to walk but he was as weak as a newborn kitten at the moment. He licked his dry lips and tried to focus on the ceiling, the walls and the motion of the ship. His breath came in ragged gasps as he fought to calm himself. He fought to control himself.

He fought to survive.

XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX

"I don't believe this!"

"Keep your voice down!" Ronon Dex cautioned. The corridor was empty at the moment but that could change. Ronon kept a wary eye on the shadows and the walls. The grip on his gun was tight and he had set it to kill. Quickly he set the charges as Doctor Rodney McKay did the same across from him. The timer was primed and set for ten minutes.

Flying the Jumper had been easy. Entering the Dart bay a bit harder, but it was open as Darts flew past to scour the empty planet beneath them. Landing was a bit rough but Rodney figured John had landed ships much more awkwardly than this. At least he kept telling himself that.

Now the Jumper was parked and cloaked, invisible to all eyes. Rodney patted the remote control in his pocket for the tenth time, to be sure it was there. He was kneeling near a power source and setting up the bomb. He was oddly calm, as if he was just doing a routine job and set the naquaddah to overload.

As they made their way along the corridors the men and Moira Sheppard planted additional charges, just to be sure the whole Hive was blown to kingdom come and the threat was eliminated once and for all. All were set for ten minutes. Knowing the _Tria_ was nearby was a comfort, but not much of one as the plan all hinged on them making it work and getting John out of the Hive first.

Moira prayed it would be enough time.

"I don't believe this," Rodney repeated in a whisper. He shook his head, eyeing the scanner as Ronon joined him. "He's not in any of the Hive cells. According to this I am tracking his subcutaneous device that way. Near the, the, the queen's chambers." Rodney's stammer betrayed his nervousness. He glanced at the blinking light of the C4 and quickly covered it with the vines of the ship.

"That doesn't make any sense. Are you sure you are reading that correctly?"

"Of course I am!"

"Boys!" Moira snapped, moving between the two men. "We need to make this quick! So far they don't know we are here! Go get John and get him to safety! I will distract the queen, and once Teyla distracts her I will join you."

"How will you distract her?" Ronon questioned angrily.

Moira didn't reply at first. Her hands were clasped at her stomach. "Trust me, I have something she will want, and it will distract her from John. Just get him to safety, please. This is our only chance to save him and to save Atlantis. We don't have much time." She eyed both men and then abruptly headed down a hallway.

Rodney shook his head. "I don't like this. If anything happens to her John will kill me. Let's go, Ronon. We have about ten minutes before we blow this place to kingdom come. Nine now but who's counting? Ronon? Ronon, let's go!"

Ronon was standing still, staring after Moira. He wondered what she had that could possibly distract the queen enough for her to forget about John. Finally he grunted and led Rodney down another hallway in the opposite direction.

The two men moved quickly, darting out of the way as a group of Wraith drones passed them. The masked figures were eerily silent. Rodney gestured and Ronon took the lead down yet another hallway. The ship was oddly quiet. Nevertheless Ronon moved cautiously, gun at the ready.

A few cocoons held hapless human victims, meals to be eaten later. They had to be ignored as they were not part of the mission. Nevertheless both men suppressed the guilt at passing by the prisoners in their haste to rescue their friend.

"Where?" Ronon whispered.

"There. Right there!" Rodney pointed. There was a doorway apart from the rest. A greenish bluish light cast shadows across it, making eerie figures on the door. There were no sounds. There were no voices. "I wonder why it isn't guarded?"

"Let's find out."

XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX

Moira made her way down the hallways until two Wraith appeared around the corner. They hissed in alarm and surprise. Moira raised her empty hands, trying to downplay her alarm. "I need to see your queen now! I have information for her which she will find valuable!"

She heard footsteps and looked behind her to see more Wraith, drones now holding their weapons pointed at her.

It was a tense moment. They wanted to fire, but hesitated, awaiting orders from the more evolved Wraith. Moira licked her lips, nervous. She was glad she did not have a weapon on her. The less threatening she appeared the more likely they wouldn't react violently.

"How did you get onto our ship?" one Wraith asked. He was tall, even taller than Ronon and Moira was forced to look up and up to meet his gruesome face. He flexed his feeding hand in a not so subtle threat.

Moira met his hostile gaze. "I will only speak to the queen. She needs to hear what I have to say."

"How did you get onto our ship? How many are there?" There was some grumbling at the sudden and mysterious appearance of this human among them, seemingly out of thin air.

"If you want to find Atlantis take me to the queen," Moira retorted. It startled them, as she knew it would. One gestured. Moira felt a prodding at her back. She recognized the feel of a Wraith stunner. Silently she followed the two tall Wraith down the shadowy hallway.

She only hoped that her gamble would give the men time enough to rescue John.


	2. Chapter 2

Stargate Atlantis: S7—Do Not Go Gentle2

"I don't believe this." Rodney could only stare, dumbfounded. John was sitting on a sumptuous bed in a sumptuous chamber. He was surrounded by beautiful, young women who were fawning over him, hands fluttering over his brow and along his arms. One was soothing his brow with a damp cloth. Another was gently massaging his arm. A third was moving her hands along his leg in a rather sensual manner.

If one had been peeling John a grape Rodney would not have been that surprised.

John blinked. He stared. He could have sworn that Rodney and then Ronon were standing in the chamber's doorway, staring at him. He wasn't sure if this was yet another hallucination induced by the queen so he hesitated. "Rodney? Are you real?"

"This is your imprisonment? This?" The irate physicist gestured round the room. "I don't know why we even bothered, Ronon," he commented to the Satedan. "If this is the torture then sign me up right away, please!"

Ronon grinned for a moment.

"It's not funny!" John flared. He staggered to his feet, trying to head for them but the floor swayed under him and he nearly fell. The women clung to him, trying to pull him back to the bed but he shook them off angrily. They were cloying, like weeds and he hated them.

He was half tempted to punch them, but he would never hit a woman.

"Sheppard. Are you all right?" Ronon asked, all mirth gone as he saw the state of his friend. John's face was bloodied and bruised. Purple puffiness underlined each eye. His shirt hung in tatters to his battered form. He appeared to be drained and dirty but if years had been taken from him they had been restored. It was still an exacting process as Ronon remembered, and quite a strain.

"I'll survive." John croaked. "Let's just get the hell out of here. Rodney, I knew you would realize…" John's words faltered for a moment. Emotion overwhelmed. The doubt had been replaced by gratitude. Words tangled on his tongue and he opted for silence.

"Of course, John," Rodney assured. "Let's go. We haven't much time." He glanced at the women again as they fell back. Consternation lined their lovely faces. Their hands fluttered in gestures and their red lips moved in soft protests. "Um, are they—"

"Wraith worshipers. Leave them," Ronon said harshly. There was nothing worse in his book than any human who would willingly collude with the Wraith.

"What do you mean?" John asked as he was helped by the two men out of the room. He could hear the women pleading for him to stay. He ignored their soft voices and fearful tones. "Wait…it wasn't locked? It was locked before! I could have just…I…"

"Not in your condition," Ronon soothed.

"And why would you want to leave this heaven anyway? All right, all right," Rodney conceded to John's glare. "Even his imprisonment is peopled with hot alien chicks," he grumbled.

"Why don't we have time?" John repeated. It felt almost surreal to have his friends here, but they were here and real enough. At times he had had a tenuous hold on reality. Now, however, he knew for certain what was real and what was not. It reassured him.

"This place is set to blow in ten minutes, well, seven now. We've got to make it to the Jumper and get outta here!"

"The queen. She'll know and—"

"Not yet. Moira's distracting her and then Teyla will take control but it won't last. Let's go!"

John yanked free, glaring. "What? Moira? Moira's here?"

"Yes." Rodney blanched under John's irate glare. "She insisted. She's buying us time to get you to safety so let's not waste it, all right? She'll join us and—"

"We need to move, Sheppard!" Ronon tried to pull his friend but the military commander would not budge.

"Fuck no! I am not leaving without her!"

"You're in no condition to argue!"

"John, we need to get you to the Jumper and then we can retrieve Moira. In fact she might already be on her way to—"

Alarms broke into Rodney's words, refuting them.

"Shit. We've got to move now!" Ronon tried to pull John again but the military commander wrenched free.

"I won't leave her to the mercies of that queen! You two go! I'll follow with Moira!"

"That's not the plan!"

"I don't give a fuck! GO!" John whirled but he fell suddenly as the floor canted beneath him.

XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX

Moira grimaced and softly swore as she shoved to her knees. The Wraith's long nails were digging into her shoulder as he held her there. Moira was staring at the darkness of the queen's chamber, at the darkness of the queen's robes as she neared. Moira stared up at the darkness of the queen. The resemblance to Elizabeth Weir was startling and horrendous.

"You...you are alive," the queen hissed. Anger radiated from her. Moira could almost feel the heat of it on her skin. She could feel the tendrils of power reaching into her brain, into her memories. Moira shut them all down, imagining a blank wall. She was skilled now in blocking off thoughts and emotions from invasive forces.

At least something good had come out of being temporarily insane after having been inflicted with that Fugly neural implant.

"I have something of value for you, but you must let John go."

The queen laughed. It was a grating sound, like nails on chalkboard. "What could you possibly have that I might find of value? I will drain you dry in front of John. Then I will savor his torment and guilt all the more."

Moira glared at the Wraith queen. "Even then he won't tell you where Atlantis is."

"And you will?"

"No. I have something much more valuable than that."

"What could be more valuable than the location of Atlantis?"

"I discovered something in the old archives of the lost Ancient base. The one you destroyed. Only half the records remain. The rest must be on Atlantis, so if you destroy the city you will destroy the only chance you will have to find it."

"To find what?" she asked, fingers flexing dangerously near Moira's face.

Moira swallowed. "The genesis of others like you."

XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX

Teyla Emmagan sat cross-legged on the bridge of the _Tria._ She closed her eyes. It was an odd place to concentrate but nevertheless she calmed herself. She slowed her breathing and rested her arms on her legs, hands up and open. She blocked out all the extraneous sounds and voices. She blocked out all the concern around her. She knew Carson Beckett was nearby, anxiously waiting. She blocked him out too and opened herself.

She concentrated on the Hive ship not far from the _Tria._ She swallowed the worry for her friends and let her mind play across the Wraith vessel. She imagined herself wandering its hallways. She imagined herself feeling the ship's power. She imagined herself being worshiped by the Wraith on board. They would follow her orders without question.

At last she imagined the queen. She shunted aside the similarity to Elizabeth Weir and concentrated on the Wraith herself, that strange concoction of human and Iratus bug that had evolved into a terrifying and strangely beautiful creature.

She opened her eyes.

She was in the queen's chambers, sharp nails running along a human's pale face. A female human. Moira. Teyla steadied herself, pushing the queen aside and taking control of the body and then the voice and then the mind of the alien to control all three.

To get her friends time to get to safety.


	3. Chapter 3

Stargate Atlantis: S7—Do Not Go Gentle3

"Goddamn it, John! You need to get to the Jumper now or we will have risked all our lives for nothing!" Ronon growled, physically hauling the recalcitrant military commander down the hallway. The alarms were shrieking and the three men were forced to run and duck into the shadows as a phalanx of Wraith Drones were heading their way.

"Shit! What do we do now?" Rodney said. "The Jumper is that way! And if they find it—"

"There goes our ride, I know!"

"Enough!" John wrenched free and whirled, snatching Rodney's sidearm from the startled physicist. John held the gun pointed at Ronon. "Get to the Jumper! I will get Moira! I am not leaving her a second longer with that bitch queen!"

"You are jeopardizing this mission, yet again for—"

"I would rather die than live without her!" John proclaimed.

Rodney looked from one to the other as the two men stared, guns pointed at each other. It was an unsettling sight. The thundering of approaching feet broke the moment. The men whirled and froze. They were surrounded by the Wraith Drones. All held stunners and weren't firing, at least not yet. They tilted their heads as if receiving some silent instruction.

"Why aren't they—"

"Teyla. It has to be Teyla!" Ronon grinned. "Let's go. This won't last forever! Come on!"

"Come on, John! We can pick up Moira on the way!" Rodney offered.

John scowled but followed after the two men.

XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX

"My queen?" Todd advanced a step, halted. He glanced at the other Wraith who were also as puzzled and startled as he was. Todd glanced at the human still kneeling at the queen's feet, but paid her no mind. She was nothing.

The queen snarled, shaking her head. Her eyes flitted and she swayed. She regained herself. "Do not harm them. I want them alive, but not yet. First they must show us where their ship is," she ordered. She freed Moira's shoulder. "You. Stand."

Moira slowly moved to her feet, hoping this was Teyla's doing but not quite sure. "I can help you access the genetic material but you must let John go, and the others too, unharmed. We will need their help to access the necessary files and—"

"This is a ruse! Can you not see that?" Todd flared.

"Silence!" The queen raised her hand and Todd staggered backwards as a pressure briefly filled his head and then was gone. "I will learn more of this! Leave us! Leave us!"

The room emptied. Moira glanced round, uncertain.

"This genetic material…it does exist?"

"Yes…I…Teyla? Moira whispered.

"Go. Go now. She is fighting me and I do not know how long I can maintain this. John is free and with the others. Go now."

"Thank you."

XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX

_What are you doing, Teyla? Are you trying to harm me?"_

Teyla blinked. She found herself standing in the throne room, opposite not a Wraith but Elizabeth Weir. She knew it was an illusion as the queen fought for control. Nevertheless it rattled her and the Athosian struggled for dominance. She only had to maintain the control a little longer, a little longer.

"_Don't you recognize your friend, Teyla? I recognize you."_

"I know that you are not Elizabeth Weir. You are a Wraith."

_I am more powerful than you are, girl! I will take your friends. I will drain them one by one. I will find your city and destroy it! And then, oh then…I will find your precious Torren."_

"How do you know about him?" Teyla asked, startled. She stared, forgetting the fight for control as she confronted this creature.

The queen smiled. "_I know all about him, how very special he is. I know what Michael did to him. I know how he sought to advance his evolution into something more than a human and a Wraith. I know what he injected. You have no idea what is going to happen to him. He will serve me when the time comes."_

"No! No!" Teyla shuddered, losing control as the shock that this creature knew about her son and was planning to make him her own. She fought to regain possession but she felt herself weakening as her concentration was breaking. The queen was whittling away at the slim hold she was maintaining. Her heart was hammering in her chest and the sense of calm was gone.

The queen shoved at her. It felt like a physical motion and Teyla fell backwards. She gasped for air and found herself prone on the bridge of the Daedalus. The connection was gone, severed in an instant.

"Teyla! Teyla, are you all right?" Carson rushed to her side as she struggled to sit. "You're bleeding!" The doctor worriedly looked at her, assessing.

"What?" Teyla took the proffered handkerchief and held it to her nose. The white cloth came back a little bloody.

"Are you all right, love?"

"She is strong, so strong, Carson! I must try to take control again!"

"No, love. You don't look so good. You are shaking. Rest now. You've done very well."

"I…" Teyla saw that her hands were shaking. She held the handkerchief to her nose and leaned her head back, disconcerted. At the moment concern for her friends was trumped by worry over her son.

Worry over what her son might become in the future.

XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX

"STOP!"

Moira froze. It felt as if someone had yanked her backwards. The tone of the queen revealed that Teyla was no longer in control. Moira softly swore and turned slowly to face the irate Wraith queen. Moira was close to the doorway, so very close and escape was in arm's reach but now all that was in jeopardy.

"Did you believe that I could be controlled like that?" the queen hissed. She raised an arm and pointed at Moira. "You have failed. Now you shall die as will all of your friends. As will John."

"Then you will never find the answers you seek," Moira threatened. She felt a pressure in her head but fought as it sought to force her to her knees.

"Kneel to me! You will beg for mercy and then I will destroy Atlantis!"

"You are acting irrationally. If you destroy Atlantis you will never find the others who are like you and the others who were made into more than Wraith," Moira argued. She winced as pain was a wave infiltrating her skull. Suddenly she straightened as the pain was gone and she felt a familiar pressure behind one eye, the one that had been changed by her connection to the Fugly neural implant.

"Kneel! Kneel!"

Moira stood. She smiled. She just smiled.

XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX

"Crap." John swore and ducked as the Wraith were pursuing them again, as if suddenly remembering that these humans were the enemy. "Looks like Teyla's hold is gone."

"Great. The ship's over there!" Rodney pointed but dove behind a pillar as laser fire cut the air around him. A fog was rising in the ship, making visibility difficult. The gloomy colors made the shadows loom. Quickly he hit the remote and suddenly the ship came into view.

Rodney had never seen anything more beautiful.

"I'll cover. You two get to the ship and power it up," Ronon offered.

"No. I'll cover. You two get to the ship and power it up," John argued.

"How about all three of us get to the ship and power it up?" Rodney suggested. Suddenly he peered round the corner. "Hey! They stopped firing again!"

"Wish they'd make up their minds," Ronon muttered. He charged, firing his pistol and shouting. The Wraith fell to all sides, clumsily returning fire as they fell. The hallway was full of fog and shadows and writhing Drone bodies.

"Get the ship prepped, Rodney! I'm going after—"

"John!"

John spun on his heels, nearly falling over as dizziness assaulted him. He stared as a figure emerged from the fog. "Moy?"

Moira was running towards him. "John! John, get in the ship now! We've haven't much time!"

He smiled but quickly raised his gun. Behind her the Wraith were pursuing. "Shit! Get in the Jumper, Moira now!" He stepped to one side and waited for her to pass.

"John, we have to go now! We—"

"John! We've got a problem here! The Jumper won't initialize!"

"What? What?" John was firing his weapon while trying to shove Moira to safety. Rodney's words brought him up short and he glanced behind him.

"It won't start!" Rodney shouted over his shoulder. His fingers were playing frantically over the controls but so far the vessel was inert.

"What?"

"Go! I'll cover you!" Ronon shouted.

John nodded as Moira caught his free arm and began to pull him towards the visible Puddle Jumper. He quickly moved with her and gave her his gun. "Hold this for me! Oh!" He suddenly pulled her into a kiss.

Startled Moira struggled then melted at the passionate intermingling of their lips. "I—"

"If you ever do something like this again I will spank that pert little ass blue!" He grinned before moving to the front of the ship. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know!" Rodney sighed. John touched the console. There was a brief, a too brief flare of power before it died. Rodney moved to his feet. "Stay here and keep trying! I will see if I can jumpstart the damn thing!" He moved to the access panels in the back, glancing to see Moira at the hatch's opening, gun in her hand as she stood sentinel. The noise of weapons beyond them urged Rodney to haste.

"Come on, baby, come on," John urged, trying to power the vessel. He sat in the pilot's seat. A wave of utter weariness engulfed him and he closed his eyes for a moment, only a moment.

"Rodney, you better hurry! We have five minutes!" Moira warned.

"Oh, you think? I am trying!" the physicist snapped. He snarled at the controls, switching wires and crystals like a madman. "Is Ronon out there?"

"Yes, but he can't hold them off forever!"

"I know that! John, try it now! John!"

There was only silence from the front of the Jumper.


	4. Chapter 4

Stargate Atlantis: S7—Do Not Go Gentle4

5

John was dreaming. At least he thought he was dreaming. He was slouched in the pilot's seat of the Puddle Jumper. Now that he wasn't moving his exhaustion had claimed him. He had only meant to close his eyes for a brief second, maybe two. His eyes were burning with tiredness and his muscles ached. The cuts on his face stung and his chest felt tight.

He closed his eyes and was almost instantly asleep. It was an old soldier's trick: to be able to fall asleep whenever the opportunity arose, even in the middle of a battle. Or an escape in this case. He only needed a few seconds to regain his composure and resolve.

Moira was safe. Moira. She was here with him. She had risked her life to save him. He was both angry and relieved and that kiss lingered on his lips. He wanted more. He wanted so much more but right now that wasn't going to happen. He snorted in amusement at the thought.

"John!"

He blearily opened his eyes to see Rodney glaring at him, shaking his shoulder. "Wha…"

"Fine time for a nap! Initialize the systems, damn it! Am I working on this for nothing? Ah, you don't want to leave your girlfriends behind, is that it?"

"What girlfriends?" Moira asked over her shoulder.

"Nothing! Shut up, Rodney. Here…here…" John hunched over the console and grabbed the controls. A modicum of power came and went. "Crap."

"We're dead in the water here. Hang on! Keep trying! I won't be able to get weapons online or the cloak but I can at least get us sublight power and life support."

"That'd be a good start," John noted. He held onto the controls, trying to urge the ship to respond. The interface was sluggish and he frowned. It felt like trying to walk in quicksand. He stood and moved to Moira. He touched her shoulder, startling her. "I've got to check on Ronon. Go sit in the pilot's chair and help Rodney."

"What? I'm not a pilot!"

"No you're not but you do have the ATA gene and that's all he needs right now. Back in a flash, sweetheart." John took a P-90 from the rack and sprinted out of the ship.

XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX

4

Ronon fired and fired, ducked and dove to avoid being hit. There were several more Wraith Drones and now a few of the more evolved Wraith were joining the fight. The fog was thick with laser fire and snarling shouts. Truth be told Ronon was having the time of his life, killing Wraith after Wraith and buying time for his friends to get to safety.

He wondered what was taking so long.

Another rapid burst of firepower and he whirled, changing direction and taking cover behind one of the elongated pillars of the ship. He caught his breath, glancing towards the vulnerable Jumper. It was dark, unmoving. It was unsettling. It was their only way to safety and if the ship couldn't be started they would all die.

The timer on the bomb was ticking down rapidly.

Hearing a noise behind him he whirled, drawing his sword at the same time. He almost decapitated John.

"Whoa, buddy!" John swerved backwards as the blade sliced the air where his head had been only seconds earlier.

"Sorry." Ronon smirked and turned to view the Wraith. "The smarter ones are here now. I think they are trying to cut us off."

"Ha ha. Oh, yeah, I can see that." John watched them warily. "If they get near the ship then it is game over."

"What's wrong with the ship anyway?"

"No power. Or very little power. Let's see if we can mow them down and clear the way to buy McKay more time."

"We are running out of time!"

"Then we better be quick about it!"

XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX

3

Rodney swore as his fingertips burned but the wires sparked, the lights flared and the ship finally hummed with power. "There! Initialize the systems! John! John!" He glanced forward to see Moira grasping the controls. The ship shakily rose, like a dog awakening from a long nap.

"Rodney! What do I do? No, come here! You've flown a Jumper! You flew us here!"

Rodney shut the panel and moved to her. "Yes, but not like this! Where's John?"

"I'll get him! Here, take the controls to maintain the power! Keep her running and then we can get out of here!"

"Right! Hurry!" Rodney took hold and slid into the pilot's chair. The ship wobbled. "Hurry!" he needlessly repeated. "I can't get the cloak up and we have no weapons!"

"John! John!" Moira shouted as she ran to the open hatch. The ship was a few inches above the floor now, canting to the right. Moira jumped and headed into the foggy expanse. All she could see were figures and shadows. "John! John, you need to come back to—" She cried out as a laser flew from the air and zipped along her arm. She staggered backwards as the weapon stung her arm. Bright drops of blood flew in the air.

"Moira! Moira!" John's voice was lost in the darkness.

Abruptly a cacophony of weaponry erupted. Laser fire vied with bullets to create a miasma of death and violence. Moira stood, holding the 9mm unsteadily. She ducked as another laser flew past her and hit the ship. The Jumper shuddered.

"John! Ronon! Let's go now!" she shouted. She could make out more figures now in the fog. The Wraith were advancing, surrounding them.

"Go go GO!" Suddenly John burst from the shadows, waving his P-90. Moira did not hesitate. She ran back to the ship, only to find it a few feet off the ground.

"Rodney! Wait!"

"Jump! I can't stabilize her and I can't stop her!" the physicist shouted over his shoulder.

"John!" Moira called, unwilling to leave him behind. She turned back and forth, uncertain. She clutched at her stomach as it twisted with anxiety and dread. For a second Moira thought she felt the cold tendrils of the queen power reaching out for her.

John rushed to her. He tossed the P-90 into the ship as it began to wobble again. "Okay, okay, we got this, baby. On three, all right. We go on three when it lowers this way again. Get ready. Are you all right?"

"Fine. We have to go now!" Moira insisted.

John drew her back a few steps. The ship was shaking from side to side. "Ronon!"

"Go!" Ronon shouted. He was heading backwards towards them, firing his gun. He glanced over to see John gesturing and Moira hunching over, trying to pull John and keep her own balance at the same time.

John clasped Moira's hand in his. "Here we go. I am so going to kill Rodney when this is over. One. Two. Three!"

John and Moira ran and leapt as the open hatch dipped down towards them. Their feet hit the edge and they nearly fell backwards, but the ship canted again and spilled them onto the floor. Moira scrambled and grabbed the netting. John pushed her further into the ship and slid back to the open hatch. "Get her down, Rodney!"

"I can't! We're losing the inertial dampeners! Hold on!"

"We only need a few minutes more! Down!" John ducked, rolling over Moira as a laser blast flew into the ship. Rodney yelped and ducked as the laser hit a wall. Sparks flew.

"Shit! That was too close!"

"Then get us out of here!" John rolled and scooted to the edge of the hatch, grabbing his P-90 on the way. "Ronon! Ronon!"

XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX

2

Ronon threw his gun away in disgust. It was completely drained. He drew his sword, grabbed a knife and gave a feral grin as the Wraith were advancing. They were lowering their weapons, seeing him apparently defenseless.

He chanced a glance behind him and saw the Jumper was abruptly lowering, canting wildly. John was at the open hatch, gun at the read, appearing to be falling out of the vehicle. It hit the floor with a thud and alarms shrieked.

"Come on!" John shouted. He moved to his knees and began to fire his gun. Bullets sprayed all around Ronon, slowing the Wraith but not stopping them. Abruptly John cursed and dropped his gun as a pain thudded in his head.

"John!" Moira slid to him and grabbed his arm before he fell out of the ship. She looked up to see more Wraith advancing, surrounding an approaching figure. "Oh no," she whispered as the queen became visible.

John lifted his head to see the parody of Elizabeth Weir. He grunted and grasped his gun. To his horror the ship lifted shakily again. He almost fell but Moira's grasp on his arm was tight. "Ronon!"

"We're out of time, John!" Rodney shouted. He was fighting the controls and monitoring the timer and things did not look very good at all.

"Go! Get them to safety!" Ronon yelled, glancing over his shoulder again. The ship was tantalizingly near. So were the Wraith.

"Ronon…how nice of you to visit me," the queen said with a smile.

"Ronon!" John lifted his gun and fired at the queen. She lifted a hand and deflected the bullets as if they were toys. The gun was wrenched out of John's hands. He almost fell out of the ship with it but Moira grabbed him around the waist and hauled him backwards.

"John! It's either now or never!" Rodney warned.

"John! John!" Moira was hanging onto him with all of her strength as the ship canted forward again, threatening to spill both of them out of it and right into the midst of the Wraith.

"Go! Save them!" Ronon ordered.

John swallowed. For a second he hesitated. A mere second as all the options were weighed.

He shut the hatch.

XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX

1


	5. Chapter 5

Stargate Atlantis: S7—Do Not Go Gentle5

Boom.

The explosion ripped through the bowels of the Hive ship. It tore the walls apart. Fluids spurted like blood and the explosions repeated over and over, as systems crashed and failed and gutted the vessel. The C4 charges lit up one by one, like lights on a Christmas tree but far more deadly. Explosions rippled like waves throughout the ship.

The ship dropped, or at least it felt like to John as suddenly the Jumper was suspended in air and shaking like a leaf on the wind. The force of the explosion was shooting it away from the action, away from Ronon as the hull was torn aside.

John clung to the hatch and stared as Ronon was still standing, grinning and fighting his way through the Wraith. He was wielding his sword like a machete now and blood coated his bare arms. He was nearing the queen when more Wraith piled upon him like scavengers.

He gave John a last look. A final look and inclined his head. John did the same past the lump in his throat. He opened his mouth but no words came and Ronon wouldn't hear him anyway.

Then the Jumper violently lurched and John fell hard, knocking his head and seeing double until blackness superseded.

XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX

"Sir! I've got multiple explosions on the Hive! Escape pods and Darts are fleeing!"

"Target the Hive first! That's our signal! When you detect the Puddle Jumper pull it to safety!" Jason Reynolds leaned over the console, staring out the viewport to see the Hive ship exploding on one side. He watched in satisfaction as weapons flew from the _Tria _to finish the job.

He considered utilizing the Ancient Chair on board. He did have the ATA gene, after all, and could easily manipulate the Drones. Colonel Sheppard had not given orders to use it, however, and thus Jason hesitated. And at this point it would seem like overkill. The missiles were doing a fine job on their own to finish the job.

"What about the Darts?"

"That ship is our first priority! We can target the Darts and escape pods later. Get a fix on the Jumper first. Let's hope our people made it to safety," he muttered. He folded his arms across his chest, an unconscious imitation of Colonel Sheppard. He enjoyed being in command of such a powerful spaceship, but he knew it was only temporary.

Unless of course his commanding officer did not make it back.

Space was a brilliant light show. The Hive was breaking apart and spewing pieces like limbs. Shockwaves were hitting the shield and the _Tria's _systems braced for impact. Alarms rang as larger pieces hit the hull but so far the shield held and Jason kept the ship on a parallel course.

He considered deploying the Puddle Jumpers to shoot down the fleeing Darts but decided against that too. The _Tria _was like a shiny new toy and Jason had to resist the temptation to play with all of it.

XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX

"I can't control her! I've lost lateral controls! We're dead in space!" Rodney's hands flew over the controls but the ship seemed to have a mind of its own. "John! John!"

"John!" Moira slid to her husband and cradled his head in her lap. "He's unconscious, Rodney!"

"What? Oh that's great! Give him to Ronon and get up here! I need your ATA to—"

"Ronon didn't make it."

"What?" Rodney spun round to see Moira and John. "Where…how…"

"He bought us time to get away," Moira said. "Before he could get to us the bomb went off. Rodney, it's up to you now."

"I…right." Rodney subsumed his shock and turned back to the controls. "If we get caught in the blast zone we'll be pulverized! Shit! _Tria_, this is McKay, do you copy?" He hit the com unit and adjusted some wires. Sparks flew. "_Tria_! This is McKay! We're coming in hot but we've lost power! Do you read? Try not to shoot us! Moira, I still need you up here!"

"All right! Hang on!" Moira pulled John to the seats and gently set him near them. She grabbed a blanket, wadded it up and placed it under his head. She kissed his brow. His pulse was slow but steady. "John…"

"Moira!"

Moira moved to the co-pilot's seat. "What can I do?"

"Hold onto that!" Rodney pointed and Moira took hold of the control. Power fluctuated weakly. "How's John?"

"He's out but he'll be fine." She glanced over her shoulder at the military commander. "Rodney, look!" Moira pointed out the viewport window.

"Oh crap," Rodney muttered. The Hive was a massive energy burst now, an explosion that kept expanding and expanding. And it was heading right for them. It was a wave of bright, hot energy that would swallow them and vaporize them.

"What do we do?"

"Without shields…not much. We can't outrun it and we can't avoid it." Rodney met the biologist's gaze. "At least it will be quick."

XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX

"Oh my God." Carson's soft utterance was echoed by many as they stared out the viewport. With the shields at full strength everything was bathed in a pinkish glow, including the massive explosion in front of them. The Hive ship was utterly destroyed. Pieces flew in every direction. Darts and escape pods were colliding with the debris and one another. Somewhere in that mess a small Puddle Jumper was lost.

Carson prayed it would be found.

Teyla stood beside him, staring aghast at the wreckage. She touched the doctor's arm, needing the assurance of another human being. "I…I can feel no Wraith now…almost none," she whispered. Although they were the enemy she was appalled at the devastation. She only hoped her friends had made it out alive.

"Have you tracked them yet?" Jason asked.

"Not yet, sir. There's too much debris and our scanners are going haywire."

"Keep trying. They are out there somewhere."

"They have to be out there!" Carson insisted. "Surely you can track them!"

"We are trying to do that, doctor," Jason assured.

XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX

Rodney was gripping the controls so hard that his knuckles were white. He was strapped into the pilot's seat as the nearly powerless Jumper was corkscrewing around. Debris hit and spun it more. It was lost in the flotsam and jetsam of the explosion. Lights were fading and the air supply was depleting.

Soon they would be in utter darkness.

Moira was sitting back with John, cradling him in her arms as the ship rocked and rolled like a toy. There was nothing more she could do upfront and she preferred to spend her remaining moments with her husband, even if he was unconscious. She watched the light show out of the viewport as the waves of gold and pink grew closer, closer.

It was like a sunrise in space, except this was a harbinger of the end, not the beginning.

"Rodney."

"If I can stabilize the systems here we might buy an hour or two. If I could just regain control we could swerve out of the direct line of the shockwave! If I could just establish contact with the _Tria_ they would be able to save us! If I—"

"Rodney! You've done all that you can. Come back here with us. Please."

Rodney sighed, reluctant to relinquish any little chance that they had. He looked over his shoulder to see his friend still unconscious, in the arms of his wife. At least John wouldn't know what had hit them. "Moira…I'm sorry."

"So am I, Rodney."

"Atlantis is safe…and we did rescue John."

"We did that, yes."

"But we lost Ronon…I still can't believe…I still can't…" His words trailed into silence. An alarm weakly sputtered. He turned back to the viewport. The wave was closer now. It was about to consume them.

"This is it," he said quietly. "I am so sorry, Moira." He wiped the sweat off his brow. It was becoming harder to breathe and it was hot. Pieces of the hull were starting to peel.

"You did your best, Rodney. John knows that." Moira looked down at her husband and planted one final kiss on his brow. Tears filled her eyes and she hid her face against him.

Rodney shut his eyes.

The Jumper was swallowed by a wave of light and debris.


End file.
